Overhead track



Sept. 20, 1932.

o. c. SCHMIDT ET AL 1,878,605

OVERHEAD TRACK Filed Sept. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVEA/TOPS SCP- 20, 1932- o. c. SCHMIDT ET Al. 1,878,605

OVERHEAD TRACK Filed Sept. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /M/E/VT@ P5: @MM E? Patented Sept.k 20, 1932 serreD` STATES oscAn c. sCIaMIDT AND AUGUST e. KLAWITTEN; or CINCINNATI, onto, AssreNoItsTo THE CINCINNATI BUTCHERS RATION OF OHIOy s'UPrLY COMPANY, or CINCINNATI, QIIYIQ, A sonro` OVERHEAD' TRACK" Application led September 28,1931'. Serial'rNo; 565,586.

OurV invention relates to overhead tracks, and primarily such tracks as are used in the nieatindustry, Jfor instance, in Aslaughter houses and packing plants, for conveying portions of carcasses, an instance of such use being in the cold storage rooms-in which the portions oi' carcasses, such as sidesand quar-V ters of beef, sides of calves, lambs andhogs, and the like, are hungclosely together, although our improved device is also applicable for other purposes. Y

ln cold storage rooms it has been the usual practice to arrangea series of overhead tracks comparatively close together, and" t0 support the portions of the carcasses on carriages com# prising, orinstance, a wheel, a supporting yoke, and a hook-hanger on which the carcass portion is supported, and to push or propel this carriage manually. along an incoming track, and to direct the carriage between tracks along ordinary siding switches, which in practice extend a substantial distance lengthwise between the tracks, and `make it necessary to move a considerable numberA of carriages and the goods suspended thereby, out or" the way, when it is desired to shi-ft a carriagewith the goods thereon from one track to another,or across tracks to a delivery track. y The shitting of the carriage with its jdepending carcass portion in devices now vin general use, necessitates the movement thereof along successive diagonal switches between tracks and along successive'tracks, order to reach the delivery track, it being necessary to provide a clear path not only to clear the respective carriages on the various tracksbut also the carcass portions depending therefrom, which carcass portions occupy greater area than the carriages.

t is the obj ect of our inventionto provide improved means whereby the carria'geand goods carried thereby may be shifted along and between tracks; further,to provide improved switching means of compactarrangement; further, to provide improved switching means comprising track sectionsa-rranged to be placed in gaps in tracks at the intersection of the lines of such tracks; and, further, to provide improved means whereby l-acurved sectionof track ymay -be placedibetwcen tersecting tracks, Aforl permitting the. carriage to be shifted. fromone to. the other of saidintersecting tracks.

v Itis the Aobject ot our invention ,further-'t5 to'providela support hav-ing. novel tr-'ackl sections thereonzandj arrangedV to bel :raised soa to pass the ends ofintersectingtracks' at-saijd track'sections inv .order to4 permit rotatifr'of the support for arrangement;1 ofthe'track-secf '35 tions thereon in line with Vvthe tracks, and permit lowering of said support for arrulgF ingV the respective track -sections; n-f'njovel .manner on-a level with thetracks.

It `is the Object of our in-venuumfurt'h,

toprovide a rotatable support .withfa stop `for arresting a carriage, and-means forcllalgng the elevation Vof said stop with relationfto its support. for" permitting the stop 't0 :pass ebstructions which would be nitsnornial path Y'when-*rotating the same.l Q

1- Itis the object of'our invention urthelto provide a rotatable supportfhavingtrack sec.- tions thereon and a carria-gefstopon said support, said support arranged to berai'sed and lowered, and said carriage stop' arranged to be raised and lowered with relation "to said'support; further, to provide novel raising'means for said support having operative connection with said stop.; furthentop'rovide a rotatable support in thefangle between lineartracks arranged in intersectinglines, said tracks having gapstherein at saifdiinter-V section, and a rotatablesupport having track sections thereonl orthe gapsV in'saidirespec.-

tive tracks in right line directions, .and a .curved track sectionlthereon` forspanning the gap between `tracks in angular relation and,

further, to so relate the tracksections ofsaid support that in one position Vof the vs,up1:gf nt gw one of'said right lline track sections is ait-. rangedto fill thegap in atrack land:the other right linevtrack section is arranged to act as a stop in vthe track atfarl' angle thereto; aand in 'another position said ijrstrnarned track section isxarranged toiill the gap insa-iditastnamed Y`track and saidl last-named rtrackasec.-

`tionis arranged to act as astopfin sadnstnamed track.

The invention will be further readily the gap lbetween tracks inv intersecting lines,

and the stop inobstructing relation between the angles of a pair of tracks arranged on intersecting lines, partly broken away, the

track hangers being shown section onthe" line 1'-1 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, with one of the right line track sections in the gap of one of the right line `t r acks,`tl ieY right-line track sections actingas stopsV in the other track, partly'broken away, the track hangers being'shown in` similarphorizontal section. c

- Fig. 3 isa similar view, with oneof the right line track sections in the gap ofsaid othertrackfand the right line track sections formingb stops inV said onexof said tracks, partly Vbroken away, with the ,track hangers shown in similar horizontal section'.

" -Figl`v4' is a-'side elevation ofthe parts rar- Las 'ranged'as in Fig. :1, partly brokenaway..

l- Fig.. 5 is a *planview Vvof our improved device\,'showing. the track sections and stop in an l intermediate position, Athe tracksV being partly broken away, and the hangers'thereof being shownk in horizontal section on the line fFig. 6 isl a side elevation ofthe same, with the stopbracketinloweredposition for passing between i the tracks vand the supporting mean'sforthe same. Y f1 Fig. 7 is a side elevation of' our improved 'device,and the parts arranged 'as in Fig. 2, the view being taken partly in section on the line 7 7 oflFigQ2.

. Fig. 8 is a bottom view Aof ourimproved de- Y yice,.partly' broken away, and .showingzthe parts in the-relations'shown inF ig. .1.-

Fig.'9 is avertical section of our improved jdevice, taken on the line 9-9 of-Fig. 1; and,

Y Fig. Y10 is a vertical section of our improved device, Ktaken on: the line -10-'-10 of Fig. 3. l lfA-trac'kll has a gap 12 between the ends 13, 14,'thereof. In practice there may be any number of these tracks arranged side byside for forming a series of 'parallel'tracks .A track is arranged to intersect the track or tracks 11, andat each of the inter-V secting tracks has a gap 16 therein, the ends :of the track portions at the gap being designated v17, 18k' The tracksll andllare shown :at right angles to each other, and the gaps `therein are atthe intersectinglines between f "said tracks. ,1

4=-The 'series of Vtracks in practiceare arranged t'o bes'upplied byA a suitable vincoming track, which-may be afcontinuation of either of theftracksherein particularly described. 'An outgoing track is also fprovi'ded, having suitable connection with any of the above mentioned tracks. .v

These tracks are eXemplilied asoverhead .tracks suspended from above, asby means of hangers 21 having seats 22 at .their lower ends, in which'the tracks are secured, as by bolts 'and nuts 23, the hangers having a bowed portioni24` immediately above said seat eX- tending away from said track below the top Y spectively comprising a wheel 31 having a peripheral groove 32and end flanges 33, the bottom of the groove .riding on ythe topof the trackand the iianges `being at thefrespective sides of thetrack for holdingthe-wheel on the'track. IAk hanger 34has Va yoke 35 about the top of thewheeha pintle 36 being fixed in the side membersoflthe yoke and forming a journal support for the wheel. The hangerk has supportingmeans thereon for the material to be carried,eXe1 npliied as a hook37 having swivel connection 38 `with the hanger and arranged to support the material, for instance, carcass portions. Y Y

The hanger and the goods .supported thereby are .arranged to be placedin close proximity to each other on the tracks of the series of tracks, the tracks of said series being also in practiceclose together, depending on the characterof goods being conveyed or stored, so.y that the goods may be'arranged close together, for instance, in a refrigerator room. AY rotary support 41 is arranged in the angle between-tracks. It has thereon right Aline track sections 42, 43, preferably arranged at acute angles vwith relation to each other, anda curved track section 45 between the ends of the right line track sections which are farthest apart. There is a space 46 between the near ends of the right line track sections `and spaces 47, 48, between the respective far ends of the right line track sections and the Yrespective ends oi-the'curved track section.

form continuations of the right line 'station-1111l .ary tracks, filling the gaps in said stationary tracks. Y. Y i

A base 51 is secured in oneof the angles betweenintersecting tracks. This base vis a rigid member having arms 52, 53, respectively provided with rabbets 54 lin which the lower l,edges of the ends of the' tracks are received andsecured for instance, by bolts 55. rI he baseisrelated rigidly with the tracks. It has `arebearing 56 in which an upright shaft 57 rotates and has axial movement. The ro-V tary support 41 has aboss 58, the support beingsecured to theuprightshaft, asby means of a pin 59passing therethrough and through said boss.` Y w l. f

ThereV is a locating pin '61 and locating 'holes 62,68, 64, .between fthe base andA the support. The locating pin is shown on vthe base and the locatingholes are shownV in the rotary support. A

A' stopmember71 is yshown as a bowed arm provided withV pivot bearings-72. The pin 59 is received through these pivot bearings, the boss 58 having fiat sides 73 with Vwhich the inner faces of the bearings72 coto be positioned in the angles of the gaps distanced from the curved track section on the support when said track section is arranged in thegap between the opposite rail portions of said tracks as in Figs; 1 and 8.

The locating pin 61 is arranged to coact with a seat 77 adjacent to the pivotal end to a stoparm for raising said stop arm into the obstructing position last described when the support is located so that its curved track` section is in the gap between intersecting tracks.

The shaft 57 is provided with a handle 7 8k fixed to the lower end of said shaft, by means of which the shaft may be manually moved axially for raising the support 41, or rotated for rotating the support and arranging its various track sections withrelation to the gaps in the tracks. When the support is raised, the stop arm 71 is permitted to lower on its pivot for lowering the same out of range with the upper portions ofthe track supports. The pivotal end of the stop arm is provided withl a stop coacting with the support forY arresting the lowering of the i stop arm and locating its stops 75, 76, above the levelof the tracks, for `permitting the stop arm to-pass in the space between said tracks and the' overhead supporting means for the tracks, and between the hangers. This stop is shown as the seat 77, which is permitted to rest on the rotary support when in lowered position. l

The support is rotated by the handle 78, and during rotation thereof between gaps, the support is held in elevated positions by restinggor riding on the locating pin 61 between the locatingholes 627 63, 64. When 'a locating hole is placed in registry with the locating pin, the support may be lowered in one of its three operative positions at the gap f Y Y When lowered into its operative position for placing the curved track section in operative relation, asin Figs. 1 and 8, the top of the locating pin passesthrough its locating hole `62and contacts thestop arm71, for

raisingsaidarm in ordertoiposition its stops instopping relation tolthecarriages on the diagonally oppositely arranged tracks, for arresting anyV carriage there :may be thereon and preventing the wheel thereof entering the proximate gap. w

Each of the'ends ofthe `tracks at the gaps is preferably provided with a. seat 75l-upon whichthe rotary support is .supported in-its respective operative positions. Y

Explaining the operation ofourimproved device, it is assumed that the track 11 is oneL of a series of parallel tracks arranged close together, and that the track 15 is a connecting track intersectingy all' of the seriesof tracks,

this crossing track being shown at right angles vto the tracks inthe series.V .It is assumed further` that it ispdesired to move the carriage from one'offtheseries of tracks to the crossing track. A Y f The rotary support 41 is raisedfor permitting rotation thereof and arranging the parts including the stop arm in non-interferingrelation with the'tracks and their` supporting means, the ro'tary support being rotated until the curved tracksection 45V thereon is vertically above the gap between the angularly arranged right line tracks 11, 15. This locates thehole 62 in registry with the locating pin 61. The rotary support is then lowered for locating its track sections on a levelwith Vthe tracks and placing the respective ends of the curved track section in direct line with the respective ends of the rightline tracks at one of the ends of each of the gaps therein at the intersection between saidtracks. This places the curved track section in proper re'- lation for transferring the carriage from the trackllf to the track 15, or vice versa. a

Lowering theirotary support also causes contact of the. seat 77 with the locating` pin for raising the stop-'arm 71 into stopping position of its stops diagonally opposite the curved track sectionV and in the range of carriageson the tracks 11, 15, beyond the rotary support. Y Y

Such a relation is illustrated in- Figs. 1 and 8. Y

The-carriage is thereby; permitted to move through the gaps 12,V 16,` and through the recess 74 under the bowed portionof the stop arm 71. v Y

Ifv itis Vdesired to move the carriage along the-track 11 past the gap 12 therein, the rotary support 41 is raisedby means of its handle 78,k which permits the stop arm 71 to droop. and raises the rotary support above the rangeofythe locating pin 61.y Upon rotationfof the support the; support rests upon the upper end of this locating pin, an intermediate 'position of the rotary 'support .being illustrated in Figs. 5 andl 6, the rotation takingplace inthen direction of the arrow a, Fig. .5, untilthe track `section 42fisin `line withr the: track .11 above theA gap` 12 therein.

This laces the locating hole. 63V in registry with t e locating pin 61 and permits the rotary support to be lowered, with its'track section 42 in the gap12. lSuch a relation'of parts-is shown in Fig. 3. Y

In this relation of parts, the'stop arm71 extends away from the angle 'of theytracks and is in lowered position and in non-inter-v 1 `15 at its side of-the rot-ary support, the gap Y the track 11 past the gap therein, the parts 12 is reduced by thus placing the rotary support, permitting the hangerof the carriage on the closed track to pass therethrough, but preventing' the wheel on the carriage on the intersecting track from passing into the g i)f it is desiredto arrangeV a track section in line with the track 15 to fillthe gap therein, the rotary support 41 is raisedto place it and the. stop arm 71 thereon innen-interfering relations, and the rotary support is rotated, duringwhich rotation it may rest on the locating pin 61. The rotation is continued until the locating hole 64 is in registry with the locating pin, whereupon the rotary support is loweredfor lowering the track section 43 into the gap 16 in the track 15, as exemplied in Figs; 2 and 7.

In this relation the carriages may be moved along the track-15 in either direction over the track section 43 and through the unlled portion of the gap 12,7the sides of the rotary support or the track sections 42, 43,' thereon forming stops 'for carriages moving in either directionalong the track 11. The spaces 46, 47, 48, permit the ends of the tracks at the gaps therein tobe received in said respective spaces, with maximum fill'- ing of the gaps by the track sections. Y

An incoming carriage may be moved along the crossing track 15 to any desired position along its length'when the parts are arranged as in Fig. 2, so as to move the carriage linto coactive position with'anyY of the' series of tracks 11. Y A If it is desiredV to move theY carriagerfrom the track 15 to one ofthe tracks 11,'or to move a carriage in the right-hand portion of track 11 to track 15, thefpartsare adjusted into the relation shown in Fig. 1. s y

If it is desired to move a carriage along are arranged as in FigJvS, for permittingy the carriages on track 11 to be moved therealong in either direction. Y 1` i f if The carriages may therefore be moved in' either direction along-tracks 11 or 15, Yand may-be shunted from rione of saidtracks 'to the; other, by the adjustments ofthe rotary support and the track sections thereon.

The device is simple, com act, strong and durable, and 4perrnits the shi 'ing of carriages along the most direct routes between points so'as to interfere nas little as possiblewith other carriages and goods supported thereby.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, andy desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

1. An .overhead ,switch comprising crossing tracks having gaps therein at the inter.- sections thereof al rotatable support, right line track sections and acur'ved track section thereon, and means whereby to placesaid track sections in the gaps-in said respective tracks.

2. rnuoverhead switchcomprising intersectingr tracks having gaps therein ,at the intersections thereof, a rotary supportpconverging right line track sections at an acute angle with relation vto each other onsaid rotary support,- and means permitting rotation ofV said rotary s upportfor arrangement.r of said respective right line Vtrack sections .in line with said respective tracks in the gaps thereof. e f' y An overhead switch vcomprising intere Y secting tracks having gaps therein at theintersections thereof, a rotary support, convergright line track sections and a curved tra/ck `section on said rotary support, saidA spective tracks in the gaps thereof and of curved track section across the angle of said gapsbetween said tracks. i

4; An overhead. switch kcomprising cross'- ing tracks havingV gaps therein at the intersection the'reof,a rotatable support, converging right lineV track s eCtions thereon'fand a curved track section thereon between the Adiverging endsof said right line track sections, a base for said support, and locating means between said baseand said support at posi'- tions locating said respective track sections in said gaps.

5. An overhead switch comprising crossing trackshaving gaps thereinat the intersection thereof, a rotatable support,'track sections thereon, means permitting the raising and loweringV of said support, Aa .stop arnr support,r a base therefor, connections between said base and said support permitting movement of sa-id support in axial'and rotary directions, tra-ck sections on said support, and

locating means between said base and said support locating positions of said track sections, a stop arm pivoted to said support, and means causing raising and lowering of said stop arm on said support for positioningv said stop arm with relation to said support.

8. In the device of the character described, the combination of a rotary support, a base therefor, track sections on said support, means permitting up and down and rotary movements of said support, locating means between said base and said support for given positions of said track sections and arranged to register upon arrival of said track sections in said given positions, saidregistry permitting lowering of said support for proper elevational positions of said track sections, and a stop arm on said rotary support, said stop arm having a contact part thereon coacting with said positioning means for 'controlling elevational positions of said stop arm.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names. r

OSCAR C. SCHMIDT. AUGUST G. KLAWITTER. 

